Platinum and palladium catalysts



Patented Dec. 15, i953 2 ,662,861 PLATINUM ANDPALLADIUM ,GATALX IS.

Earl W. Riblett, 'Tenafly, William P. Burton, ""Iiittle Silver, antl 'Philip Andrew -Lefrancois,

Jersey City; -N;J-L;' ajssignorsto The M. W.Kellogg Company, Jersey City, N; J a corporation of Delaware;

No Drawing. Application August 5 "a l No.242,03 1" 1,-7 taint." (01. 21524455.)

This invention relates-to an improved catalyst comprising platinum or palladiumdistributed on an adsorp'tive carrier material, more particularly ahydrocarbon conversion catalyst o'omprising metallic platinum or palladium distributed on an alumina or silica-alumina support, and a method of preparing the same;

Many substances have been-suggested as catalysts for the conversion of hydrocarbons" in a variety of reactions at elevated temperatures including hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, aromatization; cyclization, 'isomerization, cracking andhydro-cracking." Among those employed or -suggested for the hydrogenation and dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons and especially for: the reforming 'or :hydroforming of naphtha .fractions, which involves most or all oi the/aforementioned reactions, have been catalysts containing :minor quantities of platinum dispersed: on a'majorproportion of an alumina carrier. Various'methods for the preparation of such catalysts arerkn'own to the'art,'for example, onemethod callsior precipitating the platinum onto .alumina, as platinous oxide by boiling .KalPtCL; and thenireducing the oxide with suitable reducing salts. In an: other process a chloroplatinic .acid solution .is treated with hydrogen" sulfide to form a suspenr sion which is stirred into a slurry of alumina gel. After drying, the mass is calcined at .high tem: peratures to produce an active platinum on 3111'.- mina catalyst. For reasons not ,fully understood at present, platinum-alumina and ipalladiume alumina catalysts of the same metal content, preparedlby methods .which'appear to difiier'only slightly, often produce 'very different results in hydrocarbon conversion and other catalytic reactions. This indicates that there are profound differences inthese superficially similarcatalysts.

A ob ec o h inventi ni t pr viclean v1 m.- o ed s me, ma e ia Another object of the ii ivention is to provide an improved catalyst comprisin plat um or palladium on a carrier.

A further object of the invention is to provide an m roved m hod for the p e a at on a contact material bearing platil ip Tor palladium.

Still another object of ,thei nventionfislto vide an" improved process ior' tlie dis tribu o platium or palladium on an 'ads orptiv e carrier:

A still further obj ect'of the invention is'to' provide an improved process forpreparinga hydro"- carbon conversion catal stcomprising alumina and"either platium orpalladiuni. Yet another object of the-inven-tion is to provide ani nproved method forp're'p'a'ring 'a'liydroalso effective for 'hydrogenating organic .2 forming catalyst containing a major. portion of alumina, a minor portion of; silica and a minor, portion of a metal of. the group consisting or platinum and palladium.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, especially upon con: sideration of the detailed description ,below.

In its broadestv aspect, the present invention concerns a supporting. materialbearing the ,resi due of the decompositionor".amixture of a sub: stance containing platium or palladium and a substance containin mercury, zinc orcadmium, and the method of preparing: the same. ,In a narrower aspect, it also contemplates the forma tion of supporting materials or carriers of anadsorptive nature, suchasalumina gels with or without silica, .the 'conditionsiunder WhiQhJlhQ aforementioned substances are mixed and later calcined.

Catalysts prepared according to thepresentin: vention possess numerous outstanding advantages and have awidefield ofutility. in general, it appears that these contact materials aresuit able for any reactions which are susceptible to catalysis with platinum or palladium. Iheyar e useful in a variey of hydrocarbon converfiion re: actions, particularly those in which the hydro: gen-carbon ratio is altered. Among the numer ous reactions which lend themselves to catalysis by contactmaterials .of the type disclosed ,here in are dehydrogenation, rhydrogsnation, ,Jhy; drogenolysis, isomerization, oxidation, aromati zation, cyclization, .hydrodesulfurization, hydro carbon synthesis, dealkylation, dehydroxylation, alkylation, polymerization and hydrogen e' r change systems. In general, these reactions may becarried out under .the conventional reaction conditions of temperature, pressure, etc, with the catalysts described herein. i lowever, in many instances the activity of the new contact materials permits theemployment of less severe conditions, especially lower temperatu s and shorter contact times, without any sacr ficein selectivity; A wide variety of organic coin; jqun g'i's maybe Jdehydrogenatedincluding naphthenes, para'flins," alkyl fradicals ,in:arall-:yl conip ,ds buten'e, sterols, glycerides and many pt .55- ganic compounds. iByfchanging th e reagtioii c'ondition'in known manner, these catalysts re pounds in general, and especially fatty glyc ides and olefins; "They-may alsobe employed in N be hydrogenolysis of nitrobenzene to aniline similar chemical changes. Another H aa ion lies in the dehydroxylation or' demethylation, or

both, of cresylic acid-type compounds in the presence of the new contact agents. Among the substances which can be isomerized with these catalysts, parafi'lns and naphthenes are the most significant feeds from a commercial standpoint; but polyalkyl aromatics may be similarly treated, as exemplified in the catalytic transformation of o-xylene to p-xylene. In hydroforming with the novel catalysts a substantial degree of sulfur removal occurs and the reaction may readily be shifted to favor hydrodesulfurization rather than reforming by changing the reaction conditions in a manner familiar to those skilled in the art. The synthesis of hydrocarbons from carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the presence of the new contact materials is also contemplated. In the field of oxidative reactions, numerous changes can be effected with the present catalysts including, inter alia, the transformation of sulfur dioxide to sulfur trioxide, the formation of nitric acid and also hydrazine from ammonia and the oxidation of hydrocarbons in general. The contact materials of the present invention are also suitable for hydrogen exchange systems, as exemplified by the hydrogenation of coal with decalin and tetralin. By reason of their aromaticing and cyclizing characteristics they are outstanding in preparing benzene, toluene and the like in substantial yields from parafdns and especially naphthenes and also for the production of more highly cyclized compounds such as naphthalene, anthracene and alkyl-substituted derivatives thereof under suitable conditions. In addition, polymerization and alkylation reactions are responsive to these catalysts; for instance, the polymerization of olefins and the alkylation of aromatic compounds.

The present catalysts are especially useful for the reforming or hydroforming of naphthas into gasoline stocks of improved anti-knock characteristics. Many benefits result from hydroforming with the new catalysts in comparison with known reforming catalysts, including those containing platinum. After partial deactivation due to the deposition of carbonaceous matter during hydroforming, the contact materials disclosed herein have been repeatedly regenerated by combustion in an oxygen-containing gas with substantially full restoration of activity. Such adaptability to regeneration is extremely important as it permits a broad variety of feed stocks to be processed successfully, including those of substantial olefin or sulfur contents and/or having end points considerably in excess of 400 F. This is not believed to be true of the presently used platinum reforming catalysts which appear to be non-regeneratable and are thought to require a carefully prepared feed stock of low olefin and sulfur content with a final boiling point well below 400 F. and to be limited to rather mild hydroforming conditions in order to minimize the formation of deactivating deposits on the contact material in the conversion reaction. No such concern over the feed to the catalysts of the present invention is necessary, as carbonaceous and sulfur-containing substances are readily removed during the regeneration operation. Moreover, severe hydroforming conditions may be freely used as required in the production of higher anti-knock fuels. Cracking is minimized in the presence of the new contact materials; consequently the production of undesired lower hydrocarbon gases is less than with any commercial molybdenaor platinum-alumina catalysts. In addition to being superior to all known hydroforming catalysts in activity and the quantity of aromatics produced, superior flexibility and high selectivity have also been noted in comparison with other known platinum reforming catalysts, especially in the higher octane ranges, and the novel platium-alumina catalysts are unmatched by regeneratable hydroforming catalysts in low production of carbonaceous deposits. Many economies in investment and operating costs are realized in hydroforming with the novel contact materials as a result of the smaller reactor, smaller separate regeneration vessel in a continuous system, longer on-strea1n period in a fixed bed system or lower regenerated catalyst replacement rate in a continuous system as well as the improved product selectivity.

The preferred supports or carrier materials for the platinum or palladium are alumina and mixtures of alumina and silica, but other suitable supports include, inter alia, silica gel, titania, charcoal, pumice, kieselguhr, zirconia, magnesia and the like. The various forms of adsorptive alumina, that is capable of adsorbing gases on the surface of the alumina, which have been found useful previously in catalyst compositions for hydrocarbon conversion reactions, particularly those used for dehydrogenation, may be used as the supporting material here; and, in view of the temperatures encountered in hydroforming and regeneration, a refractory substance is recommended. In this category are the aluminas derived from the synthetic alumina hydrate, known as gibbsite, obtained by precipitation from a sodium aluminate solution in the ldayer process and bayerite which may be produced by fusing bauxite with sodium carbonate and employing carbon dioxide as a precipitant; however, the synthetic hydrated gel formed by precipitating a solution of an aluminum salt, such as aluminum chloride or sulfate, with ammonium hydroxide appears to be the best. Although silicon compounds may be introduced in a number of ways in forming silica-alumina gels, the addition of silicon tetrachloride to the soluble aluminum salt prior to precipitation with ammonia is recommended. This silicon compound hydrolyzes to silica gel. In preparing catalysts according to the present invention, it is recommended that the alumina be mixed as an undried hydrate with the dispersion containing the platinum or palladium. For alumina and silicaalumina gels, the best results in dispersing the platinum or palladium have been obtained by peptizing the gel with acetic acid or other suitable agent to a pH of from about 3.0 to about 8.0 and preferably between about 4.0 and 6.0 to provide a thin workable mixture, desirably before adding the platinum or palladium compound and the promoting or activating agent which may be mercury, zinc, cadmium or a compound thereof. It is also contemplated that an alumina gel carrier may include stabilizers designed to improve the resistance of the catalyst to extreme regeneration temperatures. Where storage of the alumina is required by manufacturing considerations, the alumina may be dried and temperatures below about 400 F. are suggested for the purpose. The expression gel is employed in its broad sense herein in connection with alumina and silica to denote anhydrous aluminas and silicas as well as hydrates thereof, which are in gel form, derived from gels or capable of forming gels by suitable adjustment of the acidity.

An unusual effect results from the incorporation this being demonstrated by the very low carbon and dry gas-yield in the hydroforming 'exp'eriments described hereinafter. Inasmuch as-car bondeposits deactivatethe" catalyst and higher: conversion oi the feed into liquid rather "than gaseous hydrocarbons is desired, the incorporationinta the-cata1ystsof silica in amount which inhibit: cracking is-an important aspect of the" present invention: such quantities of silica also seemto enhance-"the resistance of the catalyst to high temperatures during regeneration, etc.

In general, theseeffectsareaccomplished with amount of silica ranging from about 0L1 toabout 150% of the total weight of the carrier or sup"- portihgmaterial, and the preferred percentages extend fromabout 1 to about 10%.

Thefinal catalyst may contain a small amount of combined halogen; especially if it is desired to promote-cracking for any-reason. In such case, the halogen maybe introduced" in the form of hydrofluoricor hydrochloric" acid into' a slurry of-a1umina beforeor'after incorporation of the activator and-"platium or'palladi'um salt.

The promoting or activating agent of this invention" is added during the catalyst preparation. Generally; the'promoting agent can-be added to (1') the carrier material either before r after drying and/or reaching calcination temperatures and "before admixed with the platinum Or palladium-compound; (2') the-platinumorpalladium" compound prior to admixture I withthe carrier material; or (3) the mixture of the carrier'ma' terial and platium or palladiumcompoundeitherf before=or after drying; The promoting agent" can be used in the form of an organic or in'or ganic'compound of mercury; zinc or cadmium, or mixtures of the foregoing compounds. The inorganic compounds of mercury, zinc'and' cadmium *includetheoxides, hydroxides and salts thereof; The-inorganic" salts of mercury, zinc and cadmium include, :for example, the chlorides, chlorates, bromides, nitrates,. sulfates, nitrites, sulfides; sulfites; carbonates, ,bic'arbonate's, oxychlorides, fluorides iodides, phosphates, phos-' phites'; etc. Specific examples of'inorganic compounds of mercury; zinc and cadmium are mercuric bromi'de; mercuric chlorate, mercuric chloride; mercuric cyanide, mercuric nitrate, -.zinc acetate,'zinc bromide,zinc chlorate; zinc hydroxide; zinc nitrate, zinc sulfide; cadmium acetate, cadmium carbonate, cadmium hydroxide, cad mium cyanide,"cadmium'iodide,etc; v

Theorganic compounds of mercurmjzin'c and" cadmium whiclpare useful aspromotinglagent's include awariety' of classes, suchl'as i'or' eXam'ple,'1 the-salts of the aliphatic" and" aromatic carbox ylicacids; thealiphaticand aromatic'sulfu'r acids, a swell as-the aliphatidand aromatic-phosphor- I ousiacids; etc.- Particul'arly usefulcompounds of mercury;- zinc and ca-dmiu'mare the aliphatic carboxylatesa'lt's' such as those -derived-from'* the" tate, mercuric propionate, mercuric-- buty-ra e,

1 can ce or the'monm" or polybasic' type;

of theactivator into the materials produce superior to 'the' others.

fattyacids, thecarboiiic acids, the th rbor'iia acids; etc; specific' exampms or promoter salts of the aliphatic carboit-ylic acids are the fno'no basic types; such-as' for example, mr'curous ace:

mercuric vale'rate, Zinc acetate, zinc termite; zinc caproate; cadmium acetate, cadmium pre pionate, cadmium heptanoate, mercury ejthyl' carbamate mercury-- propyl carbamate,'-zincbutyl carbamat; cadmiumpemylcarbamate; mercur ethyl Xantli'at} zinc propyl z'anthate; ca'd butyl-x'ai1'thate,etc; The aliphaticfpolyca c acids can also b e' us'edi- Useful mercury; zinc and cadniru salts" of aromatic -c"arboiiylicfacids- Ex pieso' fi such saltsa re m'ercurous' benzo'a'te} Zl c preferred' that the promoting agent'v i tiliz'e 'f-r'om'thecatalyst m'ass'at or befor-ca '1 c ination temperatures. In some instances t p'r'omo'ting ag'ent is not volatilized' at suclr 't peratur'es'; consequently the calcination' oper jitigni mfiy be conducted under sub -atmosphe'r pressures in order be remove substantially an co'mpltelythe' promoting agent'from" the' -ca lyst' ni'as'si Moreover, it is preferredto I employ promoting agentswhich-volatilize 'from the cat lys't"mass=at a temperature not greater the about 1200" F; It should-not be'phuerswdd'thafi the promot'ing-agents described above are'equiva: lent in efiic'acy for the purposes of this invention,

because under certain condition some are more evaporates or decomposes at or below either the" temperature at which th'e'catalystis calcined or the operating temperatures at which the eatery" l is main tained du'r' g conversion or regener reactions; these temperatures usually being less {than-about 1050 F;

The action of the-activator is nbtuh'distddd at present but it p'rodu'ces" some effect on the catalyst which" greatly enhancesits" activity ever catalysts pfepar'ed' iri the same manner with the' activating substance omitted; The selectivityof' the-novel contactm'aterials is also superior, at least-in the production of 10*lb! R. v. P. gasoline in hydroforming. Whatever may be the change 1n the catalyst 'resultingfrom the'jintrod uct'i'or imixture of: constituents from which the catalyst is manufactured, itis not' necessary that theactivating'material re main in the final-cataiyst; in 'fact the preferred 1 activators-are substances which volatilize below ,about' 1000 or 1050 F. and apparently le ave" n6 trace 'of residue"therefrom in" the finished cati lyst'z Although suitable activating substances'irf cl-ude' mercury, zinc, cadmium and compounds" thereof,- it should not be presumed that these exactly the same results with" platinum"- orfpalladium-containing 'contact'ma terials;- as the' volatiliz able compounds of mercury,' 'especially when introduced'as' the more soluble' mercuricsalts, are considered greatly The quantity of activats ing material may vary considerably. Based on the weight of the alumina or other carrier, it may be employed in amounts equivalent to about 0.01 to 10.0 per cent or more of the activating metal, quantities ranging from about 0.5 to about 5.0% being especially recommended. For instance, a mercury salt should be mixed with alumina gel in such proportions as to provide a Hg:Al2O3 dry weight ratio of from 0.0001 to 0.1 or higher.

The platinum or palladium is desirably commingled with the other ingredients of the new catalysts in the form of a suspension or slurry. Such suspensions are readily prepared by saturating an aqueous solution of chloroplatinic or chloroplatinous acid, various platinum ammine complexes, and the equivalent palladium compounds with hydrogen sulfide. In Has-treated chloroplatinic acid, the metal is believed to be present chiefly as a finely-divided precipitate or suspension of platinic sulfide, but it is likely that some of the sulfide is converted to oxysulfide by reaction with oxygen in the air especially during prolonged stirring. In addition, some of the platinum may be in the elementary form. Regardless of the exact composition of the products resulting from the hydrogen sulfide treatment, they are accurately described herein as a sulfurized platinum-containing slurry. Compounds other than the sulfides may also supply the necessary platinum or palladium; for example, chloroplatinic acid, ammonium and potassium chlor0 platinates and chloroplatinites, the corresponding palladium compounds, and the like may be added directly to the carrier. Substances readily decomposable, or reducible to metallic platinum or palladium by heating or the action of reducing agents are thought to produce the best catalysts. The metallic platinum or palladium content of the final catalyst should be between about 0.01 and 5.0% by weight. High activities for platinum catalysts have been obtained with those containing from 0.1 to 1.0% of the metal; and increasing the proportion of platinum above 1.0% of the contact material apparently does not increase the activity thereof sufficiently to justify the cost of the additional metal. Platinum is preferred over palladium as it yields a catalyst of higher activity for some reactions, including the hydroforming of naphtha. Mixtures of these two metals are also within the scope of this invention.

In preparing a platinumor palladiumalumina catalyst, alumina or silica-alumina gel is desirably washed substantially free of halides and any alkalies, that is to halogen and alkali contents below about 0.1% by weight on a dry basis, and slurried in water or other suitable liquid. Then, the activator and the platinum or palladium compound are introduced. It is recommended that both of these materials be added as solutions or dispersions in any suitable liquid which is compatible with the other components of the mixture. For best results, the gel should be peptized with an acid to thin it, thereby promoting even distribution of the platinum or palladium compound. While excellent results have been obtained by thoroughly mixing the mercuric salt or other activating material with the carrier prior to the addition of the platinum or palladium compound, there is evidence that adding the platinum or palladium salt to the peptized gel before introducing the mercury compound produces an equally good and possibly a superior catalyst. Upon mixing the sulfurized platinumcontaining slurry and the mercury salt solution, it is believed that at least a portion of the mer- 8 cury is precipitated as mercuric sulfide by His dissolved in the water.

After the activator and platinum or palladium compound have been thoroughly mixed with the carrier material, it is dried and calcined. In the case of alumina gel carriers and the like, the drying temperature is not critical; heating to 210-250 F. for about 15 to 50 hours is suggested, or the slurry may be flash dried and calcined by being placed in an oven maintained at the calcining temperature, for example, 1000 F. If so desired, the dried material may be charged into a catalytic conversion reactor and calcined in situ. During the heating, the platinum or palladium compound or compounds are decomposed or reduced to the metal which is fixed on the carrier, all mercury-containing substances are driven of. and the gel is converted from the hydrated form to the anhydrous state. In cases where a pelleted catalyst is desired, the contact material is dried and partially calcined, cooled, mixed with a mold lubricant if necessary, pelleted and recalcined. Regardless of whether the catalyst is calcined in one or two stages, it should be heated to a temperature above about 400 F., but not exceeding the temperature at which substantial deactivation of the catalyst commences, for a period of from about 2 to about 6 or more hours. In general, it is not considered safe to exceed about 1500 F. unless a stabilizer such as silica gel is incorporated in the carrier; otherwise permanent deactivation of the catalyst is likely to occur. It is preferred to calcine alumina gels bearing platinum or palladium between about 600 and about 1200 F. for about 3 to 6 hours. Thermal decomposition appears to be the best method of reducing the platinum or palladium compound, but it is also contemplated that this may be accomplished by passing hydrogen over the dry material while heating to only moderately elevated temperatures. Also, the metal may be deposited on alumina gel before drying by the addition of a reducing agent such as hydrazine or citric acid to the slurry. In heating a mixture of a sulfurized platinum-containing slurry, alumina gel and a mercuric salt, it appeared that the platinum was reduced to the metal about or slightly after the stage at which the mixture became dry.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following examples which are set forth merely to further illustrate the invention and are not to be construed in a limiting sense.

Example I In preparing catalyst I, alumina gel was formed by adding a mixture of 4400 ml. of C. P. concentrated ammonium hydroxide (28% NH3 by weight) with stirring to a solution of 5682 gm. of aluminum chloride hexahydrate in 18 liters of water. To facilitate the stirring which was continued for 45 minutes, 2 additional liters of water were used. The resulting slurry had a pH value of 6.98 at 285 C. Filtration required a little less than 2 hours. The alumina filter cake was then washed for 45 minutes in 16 liters of dilute ammonium hydroxide (0.28% NHs by weight), thereby forming a slurry with a pH of 7.93 at 21.5 C. After again filtering off the liquid over a period of 2 hours, the alumina was washed in the same manner 6 more times. In the seventh wash slurry the pH had increased to 10.20 at 225 C. Two succeeding Washes of the same volume followed in which the ammonia concentration was halved and the pI-I'of the ninth wa'sh slurry wasf46.

In a tenth wash the ammonia content was again .halved and the pI-Iof the slurry wa'sdetermi'ned to be 10.30. *A final wash was madewith 16 liters of water alone to yield a slurry w-itha pH of 10.04, and only a faint'tra-ce-of chlorideionsfwas found in the filtrate. Uponslurrying thiswashed alumina m3 liters orwaterfor'Bo minutes, analy sis showed l3.10"weightper cent or a'total of 1135 gm. of A1203 in the mixture. 63.9 ml. of glacial acetic acid, equivalent to 0.1 mol of acid'per mol of alumina, was mixed withan equal volume of water and used to peptize the slurry by reducing the pH thereto to 4.5. viscous gel to a water-thin sol. A solution of 18.05 gm. of C. P. mercuric acetate in 100 m1. of water and 3 ml. of glacial acetic acid was added to one-half of the peptized alumina slurry. fitter q agitating for minutes, the pH of the slurry was found to; be 4.16 att c. A brownish-black 10 'waterin" the manner described in "Example I until the filtrate gave an almost "negative chloride' te'st.

Water alone wa employed in the "13th and filial wash. The precipitatewas 'slurriedi'n 1 liters of 'waterand small sampleswithdrawn for analysis. The A1503 content of the slurry was 9.57pe'r cent and K ra} tsts "ilfdicaite'd that 'it 'lvas predominantly bayerite with somegibbsite present. Next, the slurry was peptized with a total of 45 mlpof glacial acetic-acid in 45ml. of water,'i1sing high speed stirring, thereby bringing the pH to This changed 'thethick" sulfurized platinum-containing slurry was pre pared by saturating 400 ml. of a solution contain- 4.53 at 26 C. After stirring the pure white slurry for 1 hour, a solution of 19 gm. of C. P. mercuric acetate (equivalent to 2 per cent Hg based on the A1203) inv 100 ml. of water and 3 m1. of glacial acetic acid was introduced. No color change 'oc-= curred at this point and the-pH was "4-.31 "'toflZB C. after stirring for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, a 5111- f'urized platinum containing suspension was prepared by dissolving 8 grams of chloroplatinic a'cid'hexahydrate in sufi'icien't water to'niak'e '400 'ml. of thescluti'o'n; then the solution was satuing 8 gm. of chloroplatinic acid hexahydrate with hydrogen sulfide for 30 minutes. Upon thoroughly stirring the platinumsulfide slurry into the mixture of mercury salt and peptized alumina, a final pH of 4.8 was obtained at 25.5 C. The re-.

I sulting pale cream-yellow slurry, which bore a thick layer of foam, was" transferred to a large porcelain evaporating dish and dried in. an unventilated electric oven-for '65 hours at240 F. While the main body of the dried catalyst was tan in color, a 4;" thick layer of gray solid was observed on the bottom of the dish. The dried massv was ground. in a: coffee mill, calcined at 1000? F. for 3 hours and found 'to weigh 584- gm. The: catalyst without additives was then pelleted into 1%. diameter pills and calcinedfor another 3 hours at l 000F. The finished-pellets were gray in color and slightly speckled with=bl'a-ck. "Gravimetric analysis of a 5 gm. sample indicated that the; finished catalyst contained 0.46% platinum and Was free of mercury.

Example II For purposes of comparison, a platinum-aim mina gel catalyst. II was prepared insubstantially the same manner as the catalyst ofExample I except for one essential difference in that nomercury compound was added. Accordingly, this unpromoted catalyst is not within the scope of the present. invention. After drying 'the'wet cat-- In another modificationof the invention,- cat= alyst III containing metallic platinum dis-'- persed on a gel carrier consisting-of alumina gel with a very small proportion of silica gel therein was prepared. 2841 grams of aluminum chloride hexahydrate- (equivalent to 600 grams'of A1203) were dissolved in 10liters of water along with 23 mlof silicon tetrachloride (equivalent to 6 grams of SiOz). After precipitating with 2228 ml. of. concentrated ammonium hydroxide (28- per cent NHs), the slurry was stirred for one hour. At thisv time. the pH was 7.04 at 25 C.; then the alumina-silica gel was filtered and washed twelve times with a slightly ammoniacal The solids were then cal rated by bubbling hydrogen sulfide through for about 30 minutes. The resulting brownish-black suspension was added tothe "peptized 'ailuhlina slurry and changed the color of the slurry from white toyellowish brown. It appeared that this addition-formed a brown precipitate in theslurry, butthe obscuring color of the platifiumwonteming suspension precludes a positive statement on 'iihiS- point. After stirring the lfifiitul ro'r ab'dut 45 minutes the pH was found to'be 4.28 at 26 C.

Next, the slurry was dlid in two orcelain evaporating dishes for 2 1 hoursin an unventilated ovenat -230=2 l0 F. Then the incompletely'dri'e solids were mixed together in one of r I v the di and dried for 24' more hours. It was"olo'srved that a dark gray spongy material had settle'dto the bottom. The dried mass was ground'ih a coffee mill. calcined for about '6 hours at" roto F'. and for'med into pelletswhich had a' fairftly speckled, light'gray appearance; Analysis i'n'di-j cated that the finishe'dcatalyst contained x free-of mercury.

Approximately 400 gram'quan'tities of the'cata;

l'yst pellets roduced in the above examples were utilized in hydro'formi'ng experiments conducted" with a number of naphthas in a 'fixed bed lab'o rat'ory reactor. The results of these tests are reported in the table" below. It will" be noted that most of the'runs'jwere made with'a Mid?- Contine'nt heavy naphtha of relatively high end point; This'isa difli'cult stockto'hydroforiii by reason of' its relativel and its tendency to bonaceous deposits on a catalyst; hence it provides a severe test for hydroforil'lingcatalysts.-

The catalysts had been regenerated before each run, except run No. 5. This operation was" carried out by purging the catalyst with averages after the fresh catalyst had bccolfie'partially deactivated by the ac umuiauon of uepesits' 'of' carbonaceous matter thereon durihghydroforiii ing; then thepre'ssure onthesystemwas renase dfl and it was purged with nitrogen. Neii't; the contact material was heatedto 950 was'intro'duced along with the nitrogen. concentration of air in this stream was regulated to produce a maximum temperature of 1050? i the catalyst bedduring the combustionperiodw Duringthis operation the temperature of various points in the bed was ascertained with two thermocouples, one. located in-tlie upper part; and

One in the lower part of the bed. The flow of r per cent platinum and 1.89 per cent $102 but was" y lcw Ilaph thenic coll'tl it'l form relatively large F. and air l The nitrogen and air through the bed was continued for one-half hour after both thermocouples had returned to 950 F. readings. Following another nitrogen purge, the system was again placed under hydrogen pressure for about one hour while the hydrogen rate and temperature were being adjusted; then the naphtha vapor was cut into the system.

12 ably lower end point; this feed being far more susceptible to hydroforming. In this connection it should be noted that the feed in runs 1 to '7, inclusive, is one of the most diflicult feeds to process in hydroforming; thus the extremely low carbon and dry gas yields in run 2, and even lower figures for runs 3 and 4, conclusively demonstrate the low cracking tendencies of the pres- Run No 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 s 9 Catalyst II I III III I I I I I Mixed Mid Continent Heavy Naphtha G lf Coast Feed Naphtha:

Initial B. P., F 230 230 230 230 230 230 230 204 226 End B. P.. 428 428 428 428 428 428 428 373 354 Octane No., CFRM 29. 9 29.9 29.9 29. 9 29.9 29.9 29.9 39.1 47.4 Vol. Percent Aromatics 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 4 Conditions:

Reaction Press, p. s. i. g 500 500 500 500 250 250 250 250 250 Space Velocity, w.[hr./\r 2. 06 3. 14 .97 2.08 1. 02 3,00 4,1 4,09 51 Hz Rate, C. F./Bbl. Feed. 5, 270 4,860 4, 880 4, 880 4, 512 4, 870 4, 913 4, 942 5, 299 Av. Reaction Temp, 875 5 900 900 901 870 861 853 902 Catalyst Regenerntions l 9 3 2 l 2 3 Yields, Output Basis:

Ci-Free Reformate, Vol. Percent 88.0 81.0 85.8 100% O4 Reformate, 2 Vol. Percent..." 93.0 88.8 90.8 R. V. P. Reforinate, Vol. Perccnt 99.0 90. 7 95.6 Dry gas, Wt. Percent 9. 5 5. 9 Carbon, Wt. Percent 0. 09 0.015 Octane Rating:

100% C4 Reformatc, CFRM. ..6 80.3 100% C4 Reformate, CFRR... .3 87. 8 84.8 l0# R. V. P. Reiormate, OFR .8 80.6 10# R. V. P. Reformate, CFRR... 76.8 88.0 85.7 C4-Free Gasoline: Aromatic Content, Vol. Percent. 36. 9 49. 3 4S. 6

1 Number of times catalyst was regenerated by combustion prior to the run.

1 Total liquid recovered.

Referring to the experimental data tabulated above, it will be apparent that runs 1 to 4, inclusive, were made under comparable process conditions with substantial variations in space velocities. Run 1 was performed over the unpromoted platinum-alumina comparison catalyst II, whereas in run 2, mercury-promoted catalyst I was employed. With the catalyst of the present invention, a striking increase in the production of aromatics as well as in catalyst activity was observed. In regard to the latter, it will be seen that there was a considerable increase in the anti-knock quality of the product in run 2 even at the higher space velocity. Moreover, a distinct improvement in selectivity is apparent upon referring to the yields and octane ratings of both the C4-recovery reformate and the 10 p. s. i. R. V. P. reformate. In run 3, catalyst III, a promoted catalyst of the present invention of small silica content, was substituted for cataproduction of a somewhat smaller yield of a somewhat higher octane product. Runs 5 to '7 were made with catalyst I under more favorable pressure conditions and served to demonstrate the extreme activity as well as the wide flexibility of the present promoted catalysts in producing reformates of moderate as well as very high antiknock quality. Run 8 resembles run 7 except that superior results were obtained with a different Mid-Continent heavy naphtha or considercarbon reactants.

ent catalysts. Run 9 was performed with catalyst I and still another feed stock. In general, the reaction conditions approximate those of run 5, superior results being obtained because of the greater susceptibility of this particular feed to hydroforming.

In hydroforming naphtha, gasoline or kerosene stocks with the catalysts disclosed herein, the conditions may be varied rather widely; thus temperatures of about 600 to about 1050 F. are suitable and the preferred range is from about 800 to about 950 F. Within these temperature limits, weight space velocities of about 0.05 to about 10.0 pounds of naphtha per hour per pound of catalyst in the reaction zone may be employed advantageously; however, space velocities of of about 0.25 to about 5.0 provide the best results. Hydrogen should be introduced into the hydroforming reactor at rates running from about 0.5 to about 20.0 mols of hydrogen per mol of hydro- Ihis hydrogen may be in admixture with light gaseous hydrocarbons; in fact, it is usually introduced by recycling the normally gaseous products of the hydroforming reaction, which are composed chiefly of hydrogen along with about 13-10% of 1 to 3 carbon hydrocarbons. The hydrogen serves an important function in maintaining the activity of the contact material by minimizing coke deposition thereon. While the total reaction pressure may be maintained at any value between about 50 and about 1000 pounds per square inch gage (p. s. i. g.), the best results are obtained by holding the reaction pres sure within the range between about 100 and about 750 p. s. i. g. In any event, the hydrogen pressure should not be allowed to become so great under any given set of reaction conditions that destructive hydrogenation is inaugurated, as this will result in a net consumption rather than a net production of hydrogen in the reaction.

Although the tests were carried out with a fixed as am'oriqxy e ac ntaim as. To a, cess -e regenerati e w thai r other i e lqi e ibwerepl e di'sclos d herein can bore 11' H rt; by" tact with a hvdro suc essor ye led nr-ddu ft as;

ture.

The catalytic reactions,disclosedherein are described and claimed'in OurcQijcurrentIy filed applic'atiodSriail Nof242g0'32, filed August 15, 1951.

a e a e ia n Q ans a a e m am a h t catalvsts'a" J process of preparation "described Without departing from'the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the" above description shall: be interpreted'as illustrative andnot. in a limiting. sense. f

We claimzf l. A composition of matter. which comprisesa product obtained by decomposing a compound of a metal selected from the group consisting of platinum and palladium on a supporting material in the presence of an activating agent sein te tures, flue ord er r activity or a catalyst useaw'iui a'fee d of per aras as sti s matey, Zinc, a m d i arsemp end bi i'e l i ie iefii i ofabout 400.1toabpiuit IBOOTFff'o prio i .4 a. i i i t e. 211 9i 9a matter whi h eomprisesa e qsset h t it d elf ei l ii ibi id bv or about too" tq. at ut; cieritto convertthesla id metal 's wmmcresiqpel .i 'BI'A composition of m lected from the group consisting of mercury, zinc,

cadmium and their compounds by calcination at a temperature of about 400 to about 1500" F. for a period sufficient to convert the said metal compound to a metallic residue.

2. A composition according to claim 1 in which the supporting material comprises adsorptive alumina and about 0.1 to about 15% of silica.

3. A composition of matter which comprises a product obtained by decomposing a compound of a metal selected from the group consisting of platinum and palladium on an adsorptive supporting material in the presence of a volatilizable activating agent selected from the group consisting of platinum and palladium on an adsorptive supporting material in the presence of a volatilizable activating agent selected from the pru'iioriibri eraeeifipatna (3f a ihetal ofthe group v o 'argor e00 to'aboiit 1e90, "r to gon e heimeaii i popn'd to afniet ll c' r s 'dde (m h si nbb ih preeeswa eh scan-c s s. mi n a velar.

.ci iittov 'latil ithe? c ntata-ab;

c0 ei tl m area-amende a;

t earne ti which co pr sesimixing a solution, of a vol 1 zable mer In mid ands consisting of platinum and palladium with a major proportion of an adsorptive alumina carrier, and calcining the resulting mixture at a temperature of about 600 to about 1200 F. for a period sufficient to volatilize substantially all mercury-containing substances and convert the said metal compound to a, metallic residue on the adsorptive carrier.

10. A process which comprises mixing a solution of mercuric acetate and a platinum sulfidecontaining slurry with a peptized alumina gel and calcining the resulting mixture at a temperature of about 600 to about 1200 F. for a period sufficient to volatilize substantially all mercurycontaining substances and convert the platinum sulfide to a metallic platinum residue on the alumina gel.

11. process of preparing a catalyst which comprises mixing at a pH between about 3.0 and 8.0 a solution of a substance of the group consisting of mercury, zinc, cadmium and their compounds in minor proportion and a peptized slurry of alumina gel in major proportion with a suflicient quantity of a compound of a metal of the group consistin of platinum and palladium to produce a dry catalyst containing between about 0.01 and about 5.0 per cent by weight of said metal, and calcining the resulting mixture to a maximum temperature above about 400 F. and below the temperature at which substantial deactivation of the catalyst commences, thereby converting the said metal compound to a metallic residue on the alumina gel.

12. Aprocess of preparing a catalyst which comprises mixing at a pH between about 3.0 and 8.0 an aqueous solution of a volatilizable mercury compound in minor proportion and a peptized slurry of alumina gel in major proportion with a sufiicient quantity of a compound of a metal of the group consisting of platinum and palladium to produce a dry catalyst containing between about 0.01 and about 5.0 per cent by Weight of said metal, and calcining the resulting mixture to a maximum temperature above about 400 F. and below the temperature at which deactivation of the catalyst commences, thereby volatilizing substantially all mercury-containing substances and converting the said platinum compound to a metallic residue on the alumina gel.

13. Aprocess of preparing a catalyst which comprises mixing at a pH between about 3.0 and 8.0 an aqueous solution of a volatilizable mercury compound in minor proportion and a peptized slurry of a gel carrier comprising alumin gel in major proportion and silica gel in the amount a between about 0.01 and about 5.0 per cent by 3 weight of said metal, and calcining the resulting mixture to a maximum temperature above about 400 F. and below the temperature at which deactivation of the catalyst commences, thereby volatilizing substantially all mercury-containing substances and converting the said metal compound to a metallic residue on the gel carrier.

14. A process of preparing a supported platinum catalyst which comprises mixing at a pH between about 3.0 and 8.0 an aqueous solution of mercuric acetate in minor proportion and a peptized slurry of alumin gel in major proportion with a suiiicient quantity f a decomposable platinum compound to produce a dry catalyst containing between about 0.01 and about 5.0 per cent platinum by weight, and heating the resulting mixture to a maximum temperature above about 400 F. and below the temperature at which substantial deactivation of the catalyst commences, thereby volatilizing substantially all mercurycontaining substances and fixing platinum on the alumina gel.

15. A process of preparing a supported platinum catalyst which comprises mixing an aqueous solution of mercuric acetate with an aqueous slurry of a peptized alumina gel at a pH between about 4.0 and about 6.0 in such proportions as to provide a HgzAlaOz ratio between about 0.0001 and about 0.1 by weight, mixing the resulting slurry with a platinum-sulfide containing slurry in such proportions as to produce a dry catalyst with a platinum content between about 0.1 and about 1.0 per cent by weight and heating the mixed slurries to a maximum temperature between about 600 F. and about 1200" F. to dry the solids, volatilize substantially all mercury-containing substances and fix platinum on the alumina gel.

16. A process of preparing a supported platinum catalyst which comprises mixing at a pH between about 4.0 and about 6.0 an aqueous solution of mercuric acetate with an aqueous peptized slurry of about 1 to about 10 per cent silica gel and a major proportion of an alumina gel onadry weight basis in such proportions as to provide a mercury to carrier dry weight ratio between about 0.0001 and about 0.1, mixing the resulting slurry with a sulfur-ized platinum-containing slurry in such proportions as t produce a dry catalyst with a platinum content between about 0.1 and about 1.0 per cent by weight, and heating the mixed slurries to a maximum temperature between about 500 F. and about 1200 F. to dry the solids, volatilize substantially all mercury-containing substances and deposit platinum on the supporting gel.

17. A catalyst prepared by the method of claim 16.

EARL W. RIBLETT. WILLIAM P. BURTON.

PHILIP ANDREW LEFRANCOIS.

References Cited in the file Of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,925,820 Reyerson Sept. 5, 1933 2,456,633 Haensel Dec. 21, 1948 2,518,714 Parker et al. Aug. 15, 1950 2,582,428 Haensel Jan. 15, 1952 

1. A COMPOSITION OF MATTER WHICH COMPRISES A PRODUCT OBTAINED BY DECOMPOSING A COMPOUND OF A METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF PLATINUM AND PALLADIUM ON A SUPPORTING MATERIAL IN THE PRESENCE OF AN ACTIVATING AGENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF MERCURY, ZINC, CADMIUM AND THEIR COMPOUNDS BY CALCINATION AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 400* TO ABOUT 1500* F. FOR A PERIOD SUFFICIENT TO CONVERT THE SAID METAL COMPOUND TO A METALLIC RESIDUE. 